A $200 million bet on clean energy, a final push for Question 3

“We're trying to fight back, and we have to fight back here in Maryland by redrawing our lines too. And that's what Question 3 is all about. Because helping to control the House of Representatives is the way we put some guardrails on the Trump administration, and Lord knows if there's an administration that ever needed it, it's this one.” - Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th), at a rally with fellow Democrats making a late push Monday for Question 3, the proposed constitutional amendment that would eliminate many restrictions on how congressional district boundaries are drawn in Maryland.

State energy officials are looking ahead to increased clean energy production, and state Democrats are looking ahead to next Tuesday, when the fate of Question 3 will be decided. Here’s your report for Tuesday morning.

One of the many moves lawmakers took this year in hopes of eventually lowering utility bills was to put $200 million toward a program to support development of solar, wind and battery storage projects. That program, Megawatts for Maryland, is starting to accept applications, but state energy officials caution that the benefits will be long-term and may have little immediate impact on bills. Christine Condon has that story.

With just days until the midterm election, state Democrats ratcheted up their push for the congressional redistricting amendment in Question 3. They’re framing it as a move to counter Trump, even though it’s impact won’t likely be felt until Trump is scheduled to leave office, and even though not all Democrats are on board, as Bryan P. Sears reports.

And with a week left until Election Day, it’s time for the regular Maryland Matters election contest, when you can show off to your friends how smart you are. Enter today. The contest, those stories, commentary and more are below for your Tuesday. Enjoy! 

A safe seat is the norm in Congress: Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by analysts as truly competitive heading into November’s elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years.

Logperch recovering, feds say: Populations of a small darter species found only in the lower Susquehanna River have rebounded enough not to warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, according to a review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It’s election contest time!: Ugly and frightening as election season can get – or is that Halloween? – there are some reassuring bits. First, that voters get their say. Second, that Maryland Matters readers can enter our election contest and show off how smart they are.

It's a long way from Albuquerque to Easton, but Josh Kurtz finds a connection in Talbot County Council hopeful Brian Naranjo, the grandson of legendary New Mexico political patrón Emilio Naranjo, whom Kurtz covered as a young reporter.

A Lower Shore showdown: With most in-state elections a foregone conclusion, focus turns to the legislative subdistricts in Maryland with fewer voters, making them more volatile. And the Lower Shore District 38B is getting much of the attention -- and money.

Safe seats are the norm in the State House, too: When most Marylanders go to the polls this fall, they are not likely to be casting their ballots in State House races considered competitive — and experts say that has long been the case in the largely Democratic state.

An AI challenge: More than 135 candidates are running for Maryland school board seats, and those who win will face a significant challenge: overseeing the implementation — and regulation — of artificial intelligence in the state’s 24 school districts.

Price check on the elections: Americans’ frustration over high prices has defined this fall’s campaigns, as rising costs of healthcare, gas and groceries during President Donald Trump’s second term have put the GOP on defense, in Washington and in state races.